[aephi alum]

MIT tried deferred recruitment two different ways. The first time they tried deferred recruitment, parties were held on two consecutive weekends - the weekend just prior to the start of the spring semester, and the following weekend. A lot of PNMs dropped out during the week in between. So, after that, they scheduled recruitment for six days, starting on Wednesday of the first week of classes. Work loads are generally pretty light during the first week of classes, so PNMs can still complete their assignments and get to recruitment events.

Before that, when we still did fall formal recruitment, all freshmen were required to be on campus starting roughly two weeks before classes started. There were mandatory academic orientation programs going on at the same time as rush and everything else. So it wasn't like freshmen PNMs were being told to cut their summer two weeks short - they had to be around for orientation anyway. Upperclass PNMs did have to arrange for an early return and cut their summer short in order to rush, but a fair number of upperclassmen returned early anyway for other reasons.